Left Kunming tonite on overnite bus to Mengla on the border...in cramped quarters, the past week has been quite a variety of bus trips...starting in Chengdu with a very posh AC equiped, with W.C. ad video - Jackie Chan which in the middle of movie and 3 hours out about 3/4 way up a pas it broke down. From then on the buses went "dwnhill" no amienities and almost no room to move as we headed W...but we learned to get to the "stations" early and puch our way on board to get seats in the middle where the bumpy roads did not jolt our bodies too badly and churn our stomachs too much. After the half way point-Zhongdian-the buses began to improve and the last from Lijiang to Kunming(12 1/2 hours) was again quite nice.

Now on a sleeper, crowded, "beds" made for Chinese-short and narrow- 36 people,3 across,2 high...foot smells abundant. We had to transfer at 6 am from sleeper to a very crowded, but at least not as smell repellant, shuttle on to Mengla. Finished Slaughterhouse Five and realized we're still in 1969, Laos is just minutes away!